gregmce

I have four Shun Classic knives, including the 10" Chef's knife (which was the first one I owned). The fact that I started with one and now have four says a lot, as you no doubt figured out.

The 10" knife is fantastic for stuff that would be heavy duty; I use it when cutting up a butternut squash (which is so easy I forgot that it would be otherwise until I tried to do so in a friend's kitchen). I've also got two smaller ones (a 3.5" paring knife and a 6" utility knife) that are both great for all-around everything, and a 9" bread knife which I must admit I almost never use in comparison the others, but is nice to have around for when I do have a big crusty loaf of bread from the bakery. (Also very good for... no really... tomatoes.)

That said, I'd recommend skipping the block and instead getting a magnetic knife rack and mount it on the wall. You get more counter space, and they look so attractive that it becomes a talking point. We just had an open house and I was a little surprised how many people commented on "those beautiful knives." My response was always, "They're sharp as hell, too."

Ultimately, I think if you've got three or four Shun Classic knives, you can pitch all your other ones. They'll end up being all you use. It's too bad there isn't a paring knife in here, but considering that they're the least expensive (because they're so small) you can find a good deal on one and complete your own personal set between Woot and a smart purchase elsewhere.

Jnieberd

There's a lot of love here for the Shuns, but my latest blade- a small Santoku- has been a letdown. I purchased that one from a famous retailer, and the blade pitted and nicked only a couple months of use.

Mind you, I am an amateur chef, I have very good knife skills and I hand wash all my blades.

So I returned the knife. The store manager was surprised by the pitting, and happily replaced it.

The new one did the same. damn. thing.

I can only guess that Shun's quality has suffered, since the company stopped their lifetime resharpening service and you can now buy three blades for a little more than what I paid for one just a few years ago.

No more Shuns for me!

The Force is like Duct Tape: It has a Light Side and a Dark Side and it binds the galaxy together.

JTaylor637

sdc100 wrote:I almost pulled the trigger as a gift for the wife but then she walked in and saw the screen. Her only comment was, "If you spend that much money on a set of knives, the first thing I'll use them on is your chest..." Then she walked out. Oh well, I guess it's time to keep looking...

My DH bought me a complete set of Shun Premier knives last Christmas because I'd been getting blisters from my old cheap knives. I do a lot of from-scratch cooking with fresh veggies.

I LOVE my Shun knives. I had no idea how much easier it is to cook with good knives! He added an end-grain teak butcher block to my kitchen at Mother's Day, and I was also shocked at the difference that made in cutting food... I now understand why serious chefs have knife luggage and bring their own. I bought a travel case for my Shun knives.

gwencallon

rbachelor wrote:I have to second (or third or fourth?) the comments on the knives - they are incredibly sharp and I love my Shun Santoku. But I can't really justify $300 for a few more, especially when one of them is a bread knife (never had problems slicing bread).

greenfelderkl

I've had Shun Classics for nearly 7 years (purchased from that Williams store...). I'm not even sure how I sliced before Shun...

I have 2 chef's and they definitely see more use than any of the others. I'm oh-so-tempted to pick up the 3-piece set just to add another chef into the mix (hubby and I share the cooking/slicing load, after fighting over the "good" knife, I bought a second). I've never used a Nakiri knife, but it looks like it'd be great for thick veggies (squashes).

Yes, I hand wash only, hone frequently, use a diamond block sharpener quarterly, and I also have the Shun electric sharpener (from woot a few months back) for occasional use. Keep 'em sharp and you'll never need to buy another knife again.

This is a screaming deal, as Shuns aren't cheap. Perhaps I'm just a Shun addict...in for 1. Merry Xmas to me! Thanks woot!

gwencallon

Ruzzell wrote:Don't compare these to Cutco knives. Cutco knives are cheap crap being sold as great knives because of the mlm marketing schemes and getting your relatives to buy them (the only people I've known to actually buy them have bought them from relatives in the mlm program). If you actually have seen cutco knives, you would know they aren't worth crap.

I have Cutco knives that I bought 20 years ago. They're OK knives but only worth about 1/5 the price. They are tough though. The blunt ended steak knives are good for older kids. But, again, they are grossly overpriced. I bought myself a couple Wustof knives and never used the Cutco's again. Meantime, my daughter became a cook in a 5 star restaurant and then a knife specialist at a large merchant. She likes Wustof Classic, Shun classic and Global knives, in that order. She's a lefty and likes the Shun Classic grip just fine. I have used her Globals and they are great, but I prefer the Shun knives and I have several now. But they are the only knife that sorta breaks the "rule" of only cutting yourself with a dull knife. I was telling a friend of mine about them (I wasn't even using one at the time) and I held one up to her and said "You have to be careful though, this thing'll cut ya just by lookin' at it." and as I wen to put it back in the block I noticed that I had cut the back of my index finger! Didn't even feel it.

Pazuzu

I'm a bit surprised at how many of you are freaking out over the fact that these are not "real" Damascus steel.

Um, what actually IS Damascus steel? Steel from Damascus? Do you need to get actual 2000 year old ingots to qualify?

This IS folded, layered and welded steel, it IS a mix of a hard high carbon core with softer rust resistant layers, it DOES do the exact same thing as "real" Damascus steel, and it DOES have the classic Damascus waves that comes from forging a layered ingot.

What exactly makes this not "rea"? The fact that the two steels don't continue to layer back and forth? come on now...

This is 99% of "real" Damascus, and for all normal purposes, it is Damascus steel. It's not laser etched crap, fake hamon stuff.

For the rest of us, if this was "real" 33 layer folded Damascus steel, where a craftsman took two or three different steels, layered them, folded them a few times, then forged the ingot, then these knives would be well over $1000 each. think ultra high end Samurai swords, which used a similar technique.

onthedl

I have my first shuns on their way after I jumped on the amazon lightning deal the other day. Otherwise I'd be all over these! I'm actually still tempted, but spending $600 on knives in one week probably isn't a good idea. Great deal though.

jkarczmit

I have had the 2 knives that are in both sets for about 4 years now. I'm married to an Italian, so they get a LOT of daily use. They are still RAZOR sharp. The company offers a lifetime sharpening service that is free and includes return shipping, so all you pay for is the shipping to them! All of our German Wusthoff/Henckels knives are sitting in a drawer since we've gotten these. They still give that happy feeling every time you grab one, and this is 4 years later! What a honeymoon.

jkarczmit

As of Sept. 4, 2012 the sharpening service is back. They got hammered when they stopped it and had to reinstate it. Face it, in every Shun conversation you first mention how awesome the knives are and then you break out the free lifetime sharpening line. Anyway, just wanted folks to know that they still sharpen for free and honor their 10 year "zero faults" warranty. Any little issue is resolved by replacing your knife.

lwang

does these come from woot razor sharp with a mirror polished edge? cuz I got a Cermax which was razor sharp and a Miyabi which didn't give that reflective shine on the edge and didn't cut as well. They are both suppose to be the same powdered steel, same 66 hardness and same ginsu maker.

lwang

billmarsano wrote:My doctor once told me his business really spikes every year 'when the college kids get out and start selling Cutco knives.' I had a Cutco santoku and it wa wonderfully sharp--you could hear it bite into the cutting board at the bottom of each stroke. I got rid of it only bec ause it was unattractive and heavy, and it didn't git my grip (a purely personal matter) as well as other knives.

that's because cutco are like saws, and if you saw your way through the food and it reaches the bottom, it will continue to saw your board. These scalpel sharp knives does not require sawing, but just a downward action to part the food in front of it. You will not hear it sawing through the board.

darkenedaura

jkarczmit wrote:As of Sept. 4, 2012 the sharpening service is back. They got hammered when they stopped it and had to reinstate it. Face it, in every Shun conversation you first mention how awesome the knives are and then you break out the free lifetime sharpening line. Anyway, just wanted folks to know that they still sharpen for free and honor their 10 year "zero faults" warranty. Any little issue is resolved by replacing your knife.

I actually got a nick in one of my shuns, how do you actually go about getting a replacement for your knife? I think I purchased it from Williams Sonoma...

DanielJorisch

greenfelderkl wrote:I've had Shun Classics for nearly 7 years (purchased from that Williams store...). I'm not even sure how I sliced before Shun...

I have 2 chef's and they definitely see more use than any of the others. I'm oh-so-tempted to pick up the 3-piece set just to add another chef into the mix (hubby and I share the cooking/slicing load, after fighting over the "good" knife, I bought a second). I've never used a Nakiri knife, but it looks like it'd be great for thick veggies (squashes).

Yes, I hand wash only, hone frequently, use a diamond block sharpener quarterly, and I also have the Shun electric sharpener (from woot a few months back) for occasional use. Keep 'em sharp and you'll never need to buy another knife again.

This is a screaming deal, as Shuns aren't cheap. Perhaps I'm just a Shun addict...in for 1. Merry Xmas to me! Thanks woot!

The Nakiri (especially at only 5") is really meant for fast chopping of typical veggies. Basically any veggie you would throw into a stir-fry. You got a friend who is a stir-fry nut? This is a perfect knife for them. It's good for speed. Think of it as a smaller, sharper, lighter, and faster cleaver. The bigger and harder squashes are really best left for long chef's knifes. Less about chopping all the way down like a cleaver and more about length so it sticks out other side and you can use your other hand to help push down.

These are overall great sets and if you don't have some lengthy knifes in your set already these are worthy pickups. Get the Nakiri set if you love chopping and make soups + stir-frys; get the bread knife set, well if you like slicing through bread. Cheaper serrated knifes can be found and having a shun version is definitely a little for show but hey I'm guilty of having the Shun Ken Onion 9" Bread Knife.

Bbri415

mesa50 wrote:We own the 6 inch chef's knife from Shun, same line as is being sold, and it is fantastic. We paid about $100 for it, and it is the only knife I need. Although the set being sold is an amazing bargain, it's also overkill for most cooks. I looked into chef recommendations before I bought, and in two separate articles the 7 inch santoku from Shun was named as the ideal if-you-only-bought-one, buy-this-one knife. One professional chef gave a $400 knife a higher recommendation, but that's not even in the same league, so I don't think that's a fair comparison. Maybe if I won the lottery.

If you're looking for a real bargain, though, a couple weeks later I bought a ceramic Yoshi knife just to for the kick of trying something new. I'd never used a ceramic blade. I found one for a little over $10. After several months of daily use, it has actually stayed sharper than the Shun and is currently my go-to knife for most kitchen jobs. I expect it will break eventually, given that ceramic is brittle, and indeed the tip has already chipped. That hasn't impaired its ability to slice through anything like butter, though.

I am impressed and happy with my Shun, but if you're looking for just a good slicing knife and don't mind being gentle with the blade (store it protected in a block or sheath), try the Yoshi first. The handle is round, large, and plastic, but the blade is every microgram as sharp as a Shun.

I have the same Yoshi knife I think. It came as a set in a blister-pac with a peeler (which is meh) but, I don't use mine. It is sharpish, but certainly not what I expected. Nothing special for sure. If you have something metal that you can hone to hold its edge, you'll be just as happy. Save your money (and drawer space).

danthorg

Iotech wrote:I have a shun santoku, my advice is to make sure to hand wash and dry these right away or else they will rust.

Shun is VG10 damascus, which is 15% chromium.. it won't rust unless you leave it in salt water.
If you're getting rust, you've probably been sold fake shuns, the only knives which should ever rust are high-carbon steel handmade knives such as aogami and shirogami.. in which case you should coat with a layer of camellia oil after use.

oxalic32

Jnieberd wrote:There's a lot of love here for the Shuns, but my latest blade- a small Santoku- has been a letdown. I purchased that one from a famous retailer, and the blade pitted and nicked only a couple months of use.

Mind you, I am an amateur chef, I have very good knife skills and I hand wash all my blades.

So I returned the knife. The store manager was surprised by the pitting, and happily replaced it.

The new one did the same. damn. thing.

I can only guess that Shun's quality has suffered, since the company stopped their lifetime resharpening service and you can now buy three blades for a little more than what I paid for one just a few years ago.

No more Shuns for me!

What did you use them to cut?

Is it the hollowground Santoku?

I own the hollowground. The hollowground is EXTREMELY sharp. It is great for cutting things like a tomato!

You should never use your Santoku to cut hard things! The angle of the blade makes it sharper, but it also makes it easier to break...

The Santoku is mean for cutting herbs (with soft stems) & vegetables. Never use it for anything with a bone in it...

I've used it for slicing chicken breasts as long as they have no bone...

If you want to cut through bone you need the appropriate knife.

If you broke it cutting soft things what cutting board have you been using? The wrong cutting board is going to RUIN your expensive knives...

If you're an amateur chef chances is its your fault the knife was damaged. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but as an amateur myself I didn't know much about knives... I used to think honing was sharpening for example...

If you use your shuns properly (keep them sharp, cut the right materials, and use the right cutting board) I don't understand how they'd break. The knife I received was extremely high quality... I haven't used a sharper knife...

greenfelderkl

DanielJorisch wrote:The Nakiri (especially at only 5") is really meant for fast chopping of typical veggies. Basically any veggie you would throw into a stir-fry. You got a friend who is a stir-fry nut? This is a perfect knife for them. It's good for speed. Think of it as a smaller, sharper, lighter, and faster cleaver. The bigger and harder squashes are really best left for long chef's knifes. Less about chopping all the way down like a cleaver and more about length so it sticks out other side and you can use your other hand to help push down.

These are overall great sets and if you don't have some lengthy knifes in your set already these are worthy pickups. Get the Nakiri set if you love chopping and make soups + stir-frys; get the bread knife set, well if you like slicing through bread. Cheaper serrated knifes can be found and having a shun version is definitely a little for show but hey I'm guilty of having the Shun Ken Onion 9" Bread Knife.

Thanks for the tips. I tend to buy first, learn later. So, yes, I bought the 3-piece set (mainly for the Nakiri...). From what I read (again, after purchasing), you're right. Great for quick veggie chopping. I'll keep my chef's (and now I'll have a third!) for the thick veggies.

I love Shun.

(And I have the 9" bread knife and I also have a shorter, serrated 6" utility knife that I use for tomatoes. No guilt here!)

hornedsalmon

Pazuzu wrote:I'm a bit surprised at how many of you are freaking out over the fact that these are not "real" Damascus steel.

Um, what actually IS Damascus steel? Steel from Damascus? Do you need to get actual 2000 year old ingots to qualify?

This IS folded, layered and welded steel, it IS a mix of a hard high carbon core with softer rust resistant layers, it DOES do the exact same thing as "real" Damascus steel, and it DOES have the classic Damascus waves that comes from forging a layered ingot.

What exactly makes this not "rea"? The fact that the two steels don't continue to layer back and forth? come on now...

This is 99% of "real" Damascus, and for all normal purposes, it is Damascus steel. It's not laser etched crap, fake hamon stuff.

For the rest of us, if this was "real" 33 layer folded Damascus steel, where a craftsman took two or three different steels, layered them, folded them a few times, then forged the ingot, then these knives would be well over $1000 each. think ultra high end Samurai swords, which used a similar technique.

So they are not technically Damascus because they are only clad on both sides with the layered steel and they are not actually folded over the spine of the knife. They are layered steel however, unlike what one person said. Damascus never makes a blade harder either, as they are putting a softer, less corrosive prone, metal on the outside to protect the core of the knife, which is much harder, easier to corrode, and brittle.It's doing stuff, but making a knife harder it is not.

Their reserve line is a true Damascus where as all their other lines(the classic for example) is not.

danthorg

sdc100 wrote:If you can't afford Shun's, but want some quality Japanese knives from Shun's parent company, Kai, look for the Kai Wasabi Blonde 3pc Knife Set. The entire set was only $39.99 on Woot. Yes, I know that these don't even come close to Shun's or even Sabatier, Wursthof, Global, etc. But they are very good knives and look quite striking and you do get Kai Shun-like quality. But no, that particular set doesn't come with a Chef's Knife or Santoku.

http://www.woot.com/offers/kai-wasabi-blonde-3pc-knife-set-dec-09
From the previous Woot:

These are sushi knives and unless you can use them properly they will be pretty useless. it's also the same company. yanagiba, deba and petty.. i gotta say it's a good price for a set, for a sushi beginner it's a pretty good deal but it's not as good as a $10 ceramic for 99% of cooking

hornedsalmon

craigthom wrote:No, the bevel is the same on both sides of the blade. It is only different on the Japanese-style knives, not these western ones.

The term bevel is a little misleading here. He's referring to the built up metal around the pinch grip above the handle as asymmetrical, which it is on the classics and the pros(the asymmetrical Japanese style knife you refer to). The actual bevel of the knife(the part ground to make a knife sharp) is ground symmetrically on both sides on the classics.

nitroglycerin

sdc100 wrote:I almost pulled the trigger as a gift for the wife but then she walked in and saw the screen. Her only comment was, "If you spend that much money on a set of knives, the first thing I'll use them on is your chest..." Then she walked out. Oh well, I guess it's time to keep looking...

danthorg

sdc100 wrote:No, these are Western knives designed with some Japanese features. I lived in Japan and there is no such thing as a true Japanese Chef's Knife or Bread knife. These are Western knives made with Japanese techniques. Traditional Japanese chefs use a Santoku, not a Chef's knife. And in the years I was in Japan, I've never seen a home with a bread knife. It's as Western as a butter knife or salad fork, which my Asian friends mock frequently as examples of Western excess.

In fact, many mothers of my Asian friends have never even touched a Chef's knife -- the most popular knife of any Western kitchen. Traditional Chinese mothers, for example, use their cleavers for virtually everything except paring. I've even seen it used for delicate techniques like garnishing.

im sorry, you seem to have gotten it mixed up. this is a western style steel forged into a japanese style knife. no western knives are single bevelled. of course a chinese chef knife (the cleaver looking one) is basically the same as the french chef couteau, with a bit more height for things like cabbage. however, if you ever speak to a chinese chef, they'll never use it as a cleaver, or it'll break apart.
Most japanese chefs worth their buttons will usually use an usuba for most things, that's the single bevelled (wait for it) true japanese chef knife.
you can live in japan all your life and think you're an expert at every aspect of the culture, but until you're in the industry, chances are, you probably just arent.

saltlakecityty

I've had a set of Shun knives for about 5 years and love all of them. A few have commented that these knives are not comfortable for left handed people, but I'm a lefty and have no problems. One of my favorites not included in this sale is the Shun classic ultimate utility knife:

Although the Shun knives are amazing, I also have some others that I reach for just as often. The Aogami Super (for fun I pronounce it A-OGAMI SUPER-A!!!) from the site below is awesome, as well as just about any knife they sell. Forgive the site's janky appearance; their knives are top notch:

sdc100

gwencallon wrote:That bread knife is fantastic for other soft foods. Like Tomatoes

The bread knife looks like it has pretty coarse serration, which means that it'll tear many soft foods (including tomato skin). Micro-serration is great on tomatoes but the teeth on that bread knife look huge.

sdc100

danthorg wrote:These are sushi knives and unless you can use them properly they will be pretty useless. it's also the same company. yanagiba, deba and petty.. i gotta say it's a good price for a set, for a sushi beginner it's a pretty good deal but it's not as good as a $10 ceramic for 99% of cooking

Useless? Hardly. I use them daily, and not for sushi. The heavy deba makes a great alternative to heavy Chinese cleaver for chopping. Try doing that with your ceramic knife. So while the Wasabi knives may be useless to you for anything but sushi, I find them wonderful for everyday slicing, carving, etc. Worked great this Thanksgiving.

mothringer

I can't speak to how hard they are to sharpen, but I will say that, after 4 years of heavy use, my Shun VG10 chef's knife still holds its edge with no more than the use of a sharpening steel after every use.

pfajardo19 wrote:I know that VG10 steel is really hard. Anyone out there have a Shun VG10, how hard is it to sharpen, how often do you sharpen(for heavy kitchen use) it? Curious, VG10 is very good, but VG1 sharpens easier but doesn't hold an edge as long as the VG10. Would like to understand how these compare to VG1 knives. Any insight?

LSlipetz

Hoover123 wrote:Sooo...what do you put in the other 8 empty slots in the butcher block holder...your collection of Ginsu knives?

This...I came here to find this out too. If I want to expand on my set, does anyone know what knives should be purchased individually from Shun to fit the other slots? It looks like the scissors and a sharpener for sure, but not sure what else.

ledastray

LSlipetz wrote:This...I came here to find this out too. If I want to expand on my set, does anyone know what knives should be purchased individually from Shun to fit the other slots? It looks like the scissors and a sharpener for sure, but not sure what else.

Depends on what & how you cook. You may not want Shun knives, maybe a European style chef knife or cleaver for tough foods (& prying, I didn't say that) which would be stronger, but less sharp. Probably one or more paring knives. Maybe a boning knife. Or, if Asian food is your style, maybe a Chinese cleaver or a more traditional Japanese (single-bevel) knife. Go slow & see what your use makes you wish you had.

Also, on the "steel" most experts I've read recommend is a smooth steel steel or a fine ceramic steel for Japanese edged knives. You are only straighting the cutting edge where it has been rolled to one side or another through use. The courser ribbed steel or "sharpening" steels can cause the edge to chip.

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